Difference
by AngelsofHades
Summary: Neville's lived with his Gran since he was 16 months old. He remembers every day. She blames him for the 'death' of her son and his wife. She's abusive and Neville wants to escape. His wish is granted on his 11th birthday when he receives his Hogwarts letter. Follow him through his adventures and stay aboard while he finds his real family, and real self. Slash. Mentions of abuse.
1. Prologue

**Hey guys so this is my first story. Neville's smart, independent and pretty badass. His Grandmother has abused and neglected him for years. His Hogwarts letter finally arrives a few weeks after his birthday and he's never had a better present. Well, he's never actually had a present before, so...**

**There is some violence obviously, but nothing too graphic. This story includes slash, which is m/m, so if you don't like, don't read! Also nothing to worry about. No details.**

**I haven't decided on too many pairings yet, and I might keep them a surprise until they start to happen. They're only 11 now so don't hope for too much. This will cover most/all of the books, 'cause I'm not really sure when I'm gonna stop. This is obviously not following the books too closely as Neville will be Harry's BFF and not the jelly Ronnikens. Don't worry; he'll still be in the story, just a little bit ignored. Basically this is a Ron/Hermione/Dumbles bashing fic, without too much bashing going on. Harry's still the BWL BTW. [See what I did there? Hehe]**

**The twins and Blaise will also play ****big**** HUGE parts in the story. Harry/Draco might happen as well. Review and tell me what you want!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. If it seems like anyone else's story [besides the obvious] then I'm sorry!**

**Let's get started!**

Bellatrix cackled as she shot another cruciatus curse at the writhing body on the floor. This body belonged to an Alice Longbottom. Longbottom! What a name! Even if they were pure-bloods the name was hilarious! She and three other death-eaters were at the Longbottom residence trying to find information on the disappearance of their Lord. The other one… Frank? It was probably Frank. He was already gone. His mind cracked after only, what? Thirty, thirty-five cruciatus? What a wimp.

She was slowly going as well, this one. She kept twitching even after they finished the curse. She couldn't even scream anymore. It was so much fun. So much fun but still so unsatisfying. The more she tortured her, the less likely she'd be able to tell them where he was. Her _pathetic_ attempts of, 'I don't know, I don't _know_', were quickly growing old. If they weren't behind his disappearance, then why were they hiding? Who did they think they were? Keeping that sort of information from her.

She growled and screamed, but the woman still wouldn't tell her anything. It was infuriating. It wasn't fun anymore. She threw one last _cruico_ at the woman, with all the hate she felt for this _filthy blood-traitor. _The woman on the floor just stopped moving. For a minute she thought that she'd died, but then saw the slow rise and fall of her chest.

Bellatrix growled as she kicked the woman on the floor, realising that she wouldn't get anything from the wench. She was gone. Bellatrix laughed when she counted how many times she'd hit her. Forty. At least five more times than her poor excuse for a husband. A stronger woman. Just like her. She laughed again as they apparated out of the house, failing to notice the disillusionment charm the woman had casted before they came in.

In the corner of the room covered by a layer of blankets, clothes, a silencing spell and a rather strong disillusionment charm was a basket. In this basket a tiny sixteen month old baby boy was crying and calling out for the woman whose screams he had heard for the last two hours. Cries that were left unanswered by the woman lying still on the floor, occasionally twitching.


	2. Chapter 1

Neville groaned as he rolled out of bed. The sun hadn't even risen yet. His Tempus read 4:50am. He rose slowly and stumbled to his dresser, pulling out a simple forest green shirt and black cargo pants. Muggle clothes were much cheaper than those from the wizarding world, and he always felt weird when he was outside in wizard clothes, as of course, they lived in muggle England. He dressed and pulled on his old ratty sneakers. He'd have to buy new ones soon.

Neville walked down to the kitchen, running his fingers through messy brown-blond hair. He lived alone with his Gran in a two-story house. It wasn't big, but his Gran refused to spend money on a larger house. Whenever he asked she would yell and beat him. He supposed she just didn't have the money. Even though they were Pure-bloods it seemed they never did have money. The only reason he could think of was if his parents didn't leave it to her. Well, since they technically weren't dead the will wasn't read.

When he was only a baby both his parents were attacked by death-eaters and now resided in the Janus Thickey Wars at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, as they were driven to insanity by the torture they endured for information they didn't have. They couldn't even recognise him. Sometimes he wondered if it would have been better if they had died. At least they'd be in control of themselves.

He knew that his Gran blamed him for the… incident… as it were. She never said it out loud, but it was always hanging in the air, unsaid. That didn't mean she just ignored it. No, she always made sure that he knew how little his existence meant to her. To her, he was nothing more than a house-elf that she could beat around.

His Gran told him how worthless he is whenever she saw him. Despite living in the same house and not being permitted to leave unless he was buying things for her, they didn't see each other too much during the days. She would go out a lot and he just made the effort to stay out of her way. Of course, when she called for him he couldn't ignore it, so there was no way to get away from the constant verbal and physical abuse.

He would have lucky days when she only wanted to ignore him and he could focus on healing himself, or learning the things she was supposed to be teaching him. When he was six he realised that she was supposed to be telling him how to do things when he saw school children walk past the front yard. Instead of risking it and asking her to teach him he had decided to take it upon himself to learn the ways of the world. And so he did.

He taught himself to read and write, with a little help from the witch that ran _Bettie's Books _in Diagon alley. He knew how to handle his money, so that he wouldn't get in trouble for spending too much when he bought things for his Gran, and he knew how to buy things for himself without her finding out, by saying certain things costed more than they did, and keeping the total sum hidden. Of course, he also knew how to cook and clean as he took care of his Gran and the house. Cooking and gardening were the only chores he enjoyed. Oh how he loved gardening. If someone asked him what his favourite thing in the whole was, he'd tell them that position belonged to his plants. He loved nature, and nature loved him.

Neville discovered he had a knack for Earth magic one afternoon after his Gran had ordered him to make the front garden look somewhat presentable and with a flick of his wrist he'd cleaned the entire thing and grown many more plants. Thankfully no muggles had seen him and his Gran had been inside at the time. Later that week when he was sent out to buy food for them both he'd gotten a few books from Diagon Alley about Earth magic.

It was fascinating actually, what he would be capable of doing with a little training. He also spoke to animals a lot, for lack of people to speak to. The only difference was that they spoke back. His Gran had belted him when she found him speaking to a sparrow that had landed on the window sill he'd just painted for her. He found more books on speaking to animals and Earth magic during that week. He'd also become interested in healing magic, although he hadn't done anything practical with that yet. He'd need a wand first.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he reached the kitchen. He started making his Gran's breakfast. She woke at 5:10 every morning and demanded her breakfast be ready on the table for her, with him nowhere in sight. He felt useful when he cooked though, so he didn't see it as much of a punishment.

After preparing her food and having a quick breakfast himself, consisting of an assortment of fruits and some toast, he brought the food to the dining room and served the table. After making her a pot of tea as an afterthought he rushed through the house to get outside before she caught him inside again. He shuddered at the memory of what happened last time. He still had some bruises on his legs.

He has just started on the garden when he heard her moving around inside. He worked in the front garden every day from five to eight, and then moved to the back until ten. When he finished the gardens he'd go inside and shower, then prepare his Gran's lunch. After that, he'd clean the rooms assigned for the day.

It was impossible for him to clean the whole house in a day so he made a schedule to rotate within the rooms. After cleaning he'd do any repairs on the house, which usually put him at about five in the afternoon. His Gran usually left the house at around two, so this was when he had free time. He used this time to study the books he bought from Diagon alley. He hid them under the floor boards in his room. It made him feel terrible disrespecting the books like that, but he didn't want her to find them. Who knows what she'd do. The only other thing he did in this time was take care of any injuries he might have for that day and prepare his kit for the night. Every Thursday and Saturday at this time he would go out to buy the groceries for the next week.

His head snapped up at the hoot of a large barn owl. He didn't recognise the owl. As she landed on his outstretched arm he saw the letter grasped firmly in her beak. Smiling in gratitude and rubbing a finger against her head, he took the letter from the happy owl.

To his surprise, it was addressed to a _Mr Neville Longbottom_! To him! He actually got a letter! He flipped it over quickly to see the red seal on the back. It was from Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A grin broke out on his face as he opened the envelope. Pulling out the papers he read,

_Dear Mr Longbottom,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary nooks and equipment.  
>Term begins on September the 1<em>_st__. We await your owl by no later than August 15__st__. _

_Yours Sincerely  
><em>_  
><em>_Minerva McGonagall  
>Deputy Headmistress<em>

He was over the moon. Accepted into Hogwarts! Imagine that! Now he could show his Gran that he wasn't a squib after all. He knew that he wasn't as he used magic constantly, but she still denied that he was a wizard. Pulling out the equipment list he scanned what he would need to get from Diagon Alley.

First-year students will require:

Uniform

_Three Sets of Plain Work Robes (Black)_

_One Plain Pointed Hat (Black) for day wear_

_One Pair of Protective Gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

_One Winter Cloak (Black, silver fastenings)_

_Please note that all students' clothes should carry name-tags at all times._

Books

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) _by Miranda Goshawk_

A History of Magic_ by Bathilda Bagshot_

Magical Theory_ by Adalbert Waffling_

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ by Emeric Switch_

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ by Phyllida Spore_

Magical Drafts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger_

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Scamander_

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ by Quentin Trimble_

Other Equipment

_1 Wand_

_1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

_1 set of glass or crystal phials_

_1 telescope_

_1 set of brass scales_

_Students may also bring an Owl OR a Cat OR a Bat OR a Toad._

_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS._

Bouncing back up the stairs to the house, he hoped that his Gran would be happy enough to see he got a Hogwarts letter to overlook the fact that he was inside the house.

Steeling his nerves, he reached for the doorknob.

**So, how was it? Dy'a guys like the first chap? Comment/review please, and if you don't understand anything, just ask! I'll either put it in the next chap or in the AN. So next chap will definitely be longer, and it'll have a time skip, so we can actually get him to Diagon Alley~ No idea if we'll introduce another character next chap, but you'll definitely meet his Gran. Brace yourselves. **


	3. Chapter 2

**Anyways, Neville's gotten his acceptance letter! Sorry if that was a sort of cliff-hanger, but too bad! This one will be longer anyway so it doesn't really matter? No harm done? **

**The last chapter might've been too long or short or whatever but I'm just ending them when it feels right. This one will be longer~ Adios!**

**Meeting the demon lady herself! I was going to make her more neglectful than abusive but I changed my mind~**

**Warning: child abuse**

**Disclaimer: Once again I own nothing but the plot, yadayadayada!**

**Let's a go!**

She was furious. He knew it. As soon as he opened the door she started screaming at him, promising cruel punishments. Taking a deep breathe he kept walking, watching for anything sharp she might throw at him. Clutching the letter tight to his chest, he stopped just outside of the dining room. Standing in the hall, collecting himself, he heard his Gran muttering about the things she'd do to the 'worthless, disgusting waste of space'. He assumed correctly in thinking she was cursing him.

The owl on his shoulder let out a low hoot to comfort him. She didn't say anything, but he knew that she was just trying to calm him down. She probably didn't know he could understand her if she decided to say anything.

Neville usually didn't talk much anyway so it didn't matter so much. He walked into the dining room as she rubbed her feathery face against his pale skinny one. Neville, although a pure-blood, was not pampered or looked after at all. He was seriously underweight as he only ate during the mornings and at night when he could spare a minute to make some toast.

He wasn't unattractive, he knew that, as some of the shop owners would give him discounts and call him cute. It made him uncomfortable, but he was glad for the discounts. His Gran called him ugly a lot though. She would tell him how disappointed she was he didn't turn out like his father, even though when he looked at old photos the similarity between them was uncanny. Blond-brown hair, light brown eyes, light build, although he was more skin and bones than his father's muscle. Small nose, light freckles. He looked pretty ordinary, well above his collar. His Gran made sure to never hit his face, just in case someone noticed when he went out. Whenever someone did notice the occasional bruise on his hand or arm if his sleeves rode up, he'd tell them the same story: that he was an accident prone, and fell down a lot. He just managed to fall down the stairs this time. He'd laugh it off and the adults would join in, with disbelieving eyes and pitying smiles that told him that they knew.

Shaking his head he walked through the entrance to the dining room and flinched when she gave a sharp, _"what?_" Yep. Furious. His Gran sat before him, arms folded and face shaped into a seemingly permanent scowl. Her glare pierced through him as he slowly approached the dining table.

"Well?" She growled at him, "What now? What's with the owl? Did it bring important news for me? Because if it did, I'm sure I told you last time you ungrateful brat, that you were to leave it on the hall table after I bathed!" He flinched at her tone and swallowed thickly before extending his arm towards her, letter in hand. She snatched it out of his grasp and he winced, hoping that his saving grace wasn't ripped. He wanted to frame it. The day he actually became useful.

"Th-this owl came to me a, a little time ago… I thought you would want to read it as well, but- but if not, I'll just go back to gar-gardening now…" he stumbled through the sentence and tried not to flinch when she clucked at his stuttering. He hadn't spoken in a while so his throat was a little rough.

She tsked at him and looked at the letter in her hand. As she realised what it was she gasped and let out a chuckle. He didn't know what to make of it but he hoped it meant that he could go. She smirked up at him, which scared him _a lot_, and cackled. This, naturally, scared him even more.

"Well, well! Look at this! The little runt isn't a squib after all! What a surprise! And here I thought you'd be useless forever! I can't wait! I'll finally be able to be rid of you! I've had to bear with you for eleven years and now I finally get a reward! Maybe you'll actually become useful and make money for me. What a nice turn of events. In two days you shall go to Diagon Alley and get your things. Then you'll stay at the inn until you have to go. I shall write now as it's the 5th. It is strange that this letter only arrived today, but it is not of importance. Now go back to gardening you runt. And consider yourself lucky that they decided to accept a nearly squib like you." She dismissed him with a wave of her hand and he took back the letter she had dropped on the floor.

He scurried out of the room, tucking the letter into one of his pockets with the supply list. The owl cooed at him and pressed her face to his cheek again. He sighed and ran his fingers over her back.

"I'm sorry little one; I don't have any food for you. What's your name cutie?" The owl's eyes snapped open with surprise. She obviously didn't expect him to talk to her. He wasn't sure how he did it exactly. He just knew that when he wanted to speak to them, he had to put a little bit of his magic into his voice. When he first tried he didn't do so well, as he scared away most of the animals that he spoke to. His magic was too aggressive, so he had to tone it down. Now he had control over how much magic he put into his voice, so it came out smooth and soothing.

"_Freda, I am called Freda. One of the schools' owls. Grateful to meet you master Longbottom." _Her right wing spread out as she bowed. It looked a little strange, an owl bowing to him, so he decided to fix it.

"Just call me Neville okay? And I'm glad to meet your acquaintance madam Petunia." He was sure, that if she could blush she would've. Her wings fluttered in her embarrassment and she tweeted. He grinned at her. She was a pretty little owl, with her wide heart shaped face and white feathers.

"Oh! I think I have some mouse traps in the back. I'm not sure if they caught anything, but you're welcome to anything in them." Her wings fluttered again as she tweeted happily. He headed round the back, making sure to avoid any windows in case his Gran looked out. After feeding Freda the mice caught in the traps, he went back to work on the front garden, smiling at any muggles that happened to walk by. If any of them noticed that he was outside working on the garden every morning they didn't show it. He personally quite liked muggles. They were usually nice to him when they spoke.

They complemented him on his garden and his singing. Oh yeah, another of his favourite thing to do was sing. He wasn't sure if his voice was any good or not, but the muggles seemed to like it when they heard him. He also found that it calmed almost all animals that he met as well as himself when he was stressed. Of course, his Gran didn't know about his singing. He'd probably be belted if she did. He would sometimes sing for the muggles on his street when his Gran was out. Sometimes they'd give him coins. The last time he did that was… That's right. It was his birthday and his Gran decided to go out to a pub to drown her despair in alcohol. The despair that he was born of course.

He finished up his garden duties and headed inside to make his Gran lunch. She would be upstairs now, bathing. He took her plates to the kitchen to wash after he prepared lunch. It was only 9:30 now, so he decided to make her some sandwiches and put them in the fridge. They used all muggle devices, but his Gran paid for the rent with her personal Gringotts account. He didn't know how much money she had left as she had no investments nor did she work, but he was glad to know that there was still enough money for him to buy his school equipment. _That is, if she lets me use her money,_ he thought as he put away the dishes he had washed in the laundry sink.

…

After he'd sent Freda off, back to Hogwarts with some crackers and another mouse that'd gotten caught under the house, he headed back inside. His Gran had gone out earlier to the community hall to play a muggle game called Binja, no… Bingo, it was called Bingo, with some other neighbourhood women. He walked inside as he knew that the only repair the house needed was the sink in the kitchen. It had started leaking last night when he was washing last night's dinner plates.

He hummed softly to himself as he refixed the washer under the sink. He was lucky that the pipe hadn't cracked or something because that would take longer to fix, and he had to do some fixing of his own.

After he finished he trudged to the bathroom and stripped his bloodied shirt off to reveal the large, angry welts across his upper arms and shoulders. He was lucky this time; she had only used the belt. Sometimes she would hit him before she went out to put her in a good mood for her 'friends'. He knew that she hated them all; after all, she _was _a pure-blood. He didn't know of their opinions of her, but it seemed that they weren't too fond of her. Nev had heard the rumours around town that she abused him, they were true, yes, but the women of the town were quite fond of him and his singing.

He knew he was quite lucky as his Gran didn't have her wand anymore. She wouldn't tell him why, but it had been taken away from her a few years before he was born. He also wondered why she didn't have a lot of money. It was strange considering that they were purebloods and it was just the two of them. He hadn't seen his parents in a long time. The last time she went to St. Mungo's was probably… three years ago? Three years was a long time. But so was eleven years. Had he really been alive that long? His worst days would always start out like this, and then his thoughts would slowly spiral downwards, so far down that he'd start believing what she said, that it was his fault; if he hadn't been born they would still be 'alive'.

Those days scared him.

…

An hour later found him in the backyard, relaxing and reading a French cook book. He had realised that as soon as he had learned to read and write in English, he could also speak, read and write in _any_ other language. The woman at the book store had called him a linguist or something like that.

He was so excited that he would be going to Hogwarts. He would finally escape, even if it was just for a little while. He really wanted to make friends. To have real people to talk to that know him and actually _care_ for him… He wanted a real family.

Packing up his books, he headed inside. He walked up to his room and stashed his books away. His Gran might be home soon. Since he would be going in two days, he knew she'd work him to the bone.

**Soooo…. How was the second chapter? Did 'ya like it? How am I doing for my first story? Comment please! Okay, I know there wasn't really a time skip, but I'll start the next one on the day that he's going to Diagon alley. **

**Next chapter we'll be meeting some **_**pretty **_**important peeps that will be showing up again in later chapters. Well, some sooner than others! Can you try and guess who he'll meet next? And who loves Freda? *waves hands frantically* **

**Freda is short for Aphrodite or something like that, 'cause she's a pretty little thang! Should Nev meet her again at Hogwarts? I think so. What do you think? Isn't she pretty? This is what she looks like: **

** wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Tyto_alba_-British_Wildlife_Centre,_Surrey,_England-8a_(1).jpg **

**Cya next time folks! Don't forget to comment!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, sorry I've been gone so long, exams and all. So I had a complete change of mind and I've changed the plot a lot. Ha, rhymes.**

**The main change I made was Draco's role, because honestly, I love Draco as a main-ish character. So we'll be seeing him soon. **

**Harry will still obviously be important, but as I said, he's not our hero. I said in the prologue that Nev would be Harry's BFF, but Harry's not **_**that**_** important anymore. He's basically still the BWL but… not as important. Yeah. That makes sense. Maybe. Shaddup. Hehe.**

**Oh, and I have absolutely no idea of any of the dates in these series, as it's been a **_**very **_**long time since I read the books, and I'm basing it all off the movies, and whatever else I come up with, because, it's a fan fiction!**

**This story will have some more Dumbles/Mione/Ronnikens/Ginny bashing than I had originally planned, but it's better. **

**I'm posting chapters as I write them, so I won't be updating regularly or anything like that. Also, thanks to:**

_**fanfanfiction**_**, for being the first to make a review, and **_**SkyeLily Anonomouse, Didget, and Pointless Heart**_** for reviewing also! You guys are the best!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own brain, Yada Yada Yoda. Wait what?**

**Let's a go!**

It was 4am. He was so excited. It was the 7th and today he was going to Diagon Alley to get his things for school. The school of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Hogwarts! He still couldn't believe it. He climbed out of bed and got ready; he'd been working non-stop for the past two days so that his Gran wouldn't decide not to let him go after all.

He collected his books from under the bed and put it in the second-hand backpack he'd found in the charity collection bin down the road when they first moved in. The witch down the road had put a minor extension charm on it for him.

After all of the books were carefully placed in the bag, he started packing his clothes. He was going to buy some new ones if he had any leftover money from the school shopping, but just in case he didn't, he would pack his old ones. After slipping on his ratty sneakers he headed downstairs to make breakfast.

Because it was so early, he was confident he'd have time to make himself a small breakfast as well as his Gran's. He decided to make her lunch as well, writing a note on the fridge for her to heat it up in the muggle microwave later. He ate his slices of toast slowly, making sure no crumbs were left behind. He washed his plate and put it back in the cupboard.

It was still too early for his Gran to be up and the garden was perfected, so he pulled out one of his animal books to wait. He was so absorbed in reading about wizards who could change their bodies to an animal form, an _Animagus,_ that he didn't notice it was already 5:05am. If it wasn't for the cacophonous _thumps_ of his Gran's boots across the upstairs floorboards, he would've been caught.

Sometimes it was lucky she was so obnoxious.

He quickly stuffed his book back into the backpack and stood in the kitchen, dining table already set and ready for her food. As she came downstairs and into the dining room, he made sure he looked somewhat presentable. Nev heard her annoyed grunt from the kitchen when she saw that her food was not already on the table.

As she was about to open her mouth to scream at him, he walked through the archway separating the two rooms with her breakfast tray in hand. Her mouth snapped shut with a loud _click_, and she dropped her pudgy body into the old wooden chair that shrieked under her weight.

"What took you so long runt? I've been waiting for entirely too long for my food you stupid rat. Hurry up now, I'm not to _starve_." She clicked her fingers at him repeatedly and he placed the tray in front of her, lifting off the lid as he stepped back. She let out an appreciative sound as she saw what he'd made for her. It was something he'd found in his _World of Food_ cookbook in the Amish section. It was called an Amish Breakfast Casserole, and it tasted quite yummy from the taste test he'd done.

As he poured her breakfast tea and retreated a few steps she looked up at him. He tried not to flinch when she raised one, grey eyebrow at him. He cleared his throat to prepare for whatever might come out of his mouth next. He'd planned something to say, but it left his mind as soon as she came down.

"I, um, I decided that since this is the last day I'll be in your presence until I come back from school, I'd make you an especially nice breakfast, ma'am. I have packed prior to coming downstairs, so all I need are some funds to pay for my school equipment, and I'll be gone. Please enjoy your meal, ma'am." He tried not to stutter and keep eye contact at the same time, but it proved too hard. He just looked straight forward so he would be able to indirectly ask her for the money and not show a weak front.

It took a while for her to respond and he was getting more worried by the second. He chanced a glance at her, and gulped when he saw her still staring openly at him. He straightened up a little more when she cleared her throat.

"Very well. Go to my bedroom, _and don't touch anything_, and fetch the key on my dresser. It has the funds that my son left for your school in that vault. I have been using it until now, as I saw no need for you to be educated, but since you will make me money, I will allow you to use it until you make your own. Go now. Take the key and leave." She didn't have to tell him twice.

He scurried up the stairs as fast as he could and opened her door carefully, spotting the key instantly. He grabbed it and raced back down the stairs. He bowed to her as he passed the dining room doorway, before grabbing his backpack and slipping out the front door, a smile on his face.

…

Neville walked down the busy London street with his old backpack held securely on both shoulders and the vault key held tight in his hand, hidden in his pocket. He didn't want to lose it. It was the only thing his Gran had ever given him, and he'd be damned to an eternity drifting through the veil before losing it.

As he turned the corner to the main street, he caught sight of a few muggle adults hanging around the _Leaky Cauldron_, and he hoped they weren't there to cause any trouble. He walked forward slowly, gripping his bag straps tightly and approached the pub. They saw him immediately, and a few called out to him. He ignored them. They got louder. He pretended he couldn't hear them.

Neville was nearly to the door. He'd go in, greet Tom, and ask him politely to open the bricks for him to go to Diagon alley. Except he didn't. Just before he reached the door, a large, calloused, male hand grabbed his shoulder. He squeaked and twisted away from it, in hopes of getting to the door.

He was spun around to face the street and away from the only place he wanted to be right now. Why were these muggles out so early? Why wouldn't they let him go inside? They were well dressed and clean, so he assumed it wasn't to rob him. He hadn't realised that he was whimpering until one of the other muggles, a woman this time, slapped the man's hand away from Neville's shoulder.

He gripped it with his opposite hand, still holding the vault key in his pocket. The same woman came closer to him, and he saw her face soften as she took in his appearance. He didn't know what it was that she saw, but he had to get away from them. He was worried. He didn't know these people.

"Hey, sweetie, are you lost? It's okay if you are, we'll show you where to go. I'm sorry about this guy, he's just very tired. What's your name, honey?" The woman spoke in a condescending tone, asking things he was _very_ uncomfortable sharing with these strangers. So he didn't speak. He saw that the group was getting slightly aggravated, so he shook his head quickly. The woman was confused for a second before she understood what he meant.

"I think you might be, because that's not a place for kids, honey. That's a very scary old building. Did someone tell you to go inside?" Again, he shook his head. She was starting to get annoyed herself. "Don't you speak? Or are you scared? I'm sorry, let's start again, okay? My name is Linda, what's yours?"

He realised that this woman was not going to leave him alone until he spoke, but he really didn't want to speak at all. He didn't know her, and the witch from the bookstore told him never to speak to people he didn't know, at least until he knew he was safe. He was running multiple plans through his head to try and get away. Finally, he answered in his most childish voice.

"My name's Lucas. I'm not lost. I'm meeting Uncle Tommy in there. He told me to wait inside, and he'd come and get me. I'm not supposed to speak to strangers. Can I go now?" He waited for them to respond. The man that had grabbed him in the first place reached for him and he very visibly flinched. The reaction was immediate. Most of the faces in the crowd showed extreme worry, and others showed anger.

"Is your Uncle Tommy nice to you Lucas? It's okay if he's not, we'll make sure he's never mean to you again, Lu." He was in trouble.

"Of course, Uncle Tommy's nice to me! He's the best! He always buys me hot chips when we go out!" He desperately tried to get out of their crowd, backing slowly to the door. When he bumped into another member of their group he squeaked again. He jolted forward away from them and decided to go all out.

Tears started to gather in his eyes as he wrapped his arm around his middle and making sure he wasn't touching any of them at all.

"Please let me go, I won't come here alone again, I promise. I'll give you my book, just let me go," the fake tears started to fall and all of the muggle adults backed off very quickly as he started to shake. As soon as there was an opening, he sprinted off in the direction he came from, once again ignoring their calls.

He sprinted down the street and jumped around the corner, careful not to hit anything. He took off again when he heard rushed footsteps behind him and voices calling out for a 'Lucas'. He turned another corner and was relieved to hear the footsteps behind him had stopped. Before he could stop himself though, he crashed into another small body, sending them both to the ground.

Two simultaneous '_oofs!' _was heard as they crashed into the hard concreate of the London road. Neville rubbed his head and looked up as the other boy was lifted to his feet by a giant man standing next to him. The man had a dark brown scraggly beard and curly hair. His face was dirty but had a kind look to it. He had an old, long light brown leather trench coat on that went down to his boot covered ankles.

Neville stood up and dusted himself off, finally looking at the boy he'd knocked over. He was small, about the same size as Neville himself, and definitely as malnourished as himself. He had dark brown, almost black hair that had a slight fringe. On his right temple there was a strange scar in the shape of a lightning bolt. He received a slight jolt when he looked at the scar, as it felt very, _very _bad. It was just leaking terrible energy. The boy himself was wearing a large blue checked button up flannel shirt that must've been at least four times his size, with a pair of old dirty brown slacks that were obviously only being held up by the belt wrapped around his waist, with at least six more holes added to make it tighter.

He jolted again when he met bright blue-green eyes through wiry broken glasses. He sent the boy a small sheepish smile before he realised he was still 'crying'. He quickly wiped his tears as the small boy sent him a smile of his own. The boy opened his mouth,

"Hi! I'm Harry, Harry Potter. Who're you?"

…

**Ha-ha~ ending it there! I know I said I'd get him to Diagon Alley, but I figured I had too many words at 1000 words, let alone 2000! **

**Next chapter, he'll definitely get to Diagon. That's a promise~ maybe. I have no idea where this story is going, just that I have a loose plan, and Neville will be awesome. **

**Okay, see you guys next time! Please review!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Sorry if that last chap was a bit of a cliff-hanger, but I planned with my friend to post this one soon-ish so… here it is!**

**So we met Harry [and kind of met Hagrid] last chap. This chap is going to be as long as I can make it, so hang on. If I do end the chap early-ish, then expect another one really soon, because I probably just felt like I needed to end it there.**

**I'm going to try my absolute best to get them to Diagon, but it might end with them at the brick wall or something like that. But I will try. So if it starts to get crappy at the end, just know it's because I'm trying to drag it into either 3000 words, or Diagon Alley.**

**Also I have **_**no idea **_**how to do an accent, so you'll have to deal with imagining Hagrid's voice yourselves. **

**Once again, I own nothing and I don't think there's anything to warn about in this chap, besides mentions of abuse and some Hagrid bashing. I like Hagrid but he really isn't the sharpest tool in the shed if you catch my drift. There's also like one if the minor curse words in there.**

**That's all I gotta say so…**

**Let's a go!**

"Hi! I'm Harry, Harry Potter. Who're you?"

Neville shook his head to focus when he realised the other boy was talking to him. He sent an apologetic smile to the boy to show he hadn't heard what he said. The other just grinned and held out a hand.

"It's okay. I just said that my name is Harry Potter. It's nice to meet you…?" Harry drifted as an opening for Nev to speak. He cleared his throat and took Harry's outstretched hand.

"Sorry, I'm Neville, Neville Longbottom. It's a pleasure to meet you Harry. I'm sorry for running into you I couldn't stop myself." Nev sent a small smile that widened when Harry showed no signs of laughing at his peculiar name. Harry grinned back and nudged the large man beside him, as he still hadn't made a sound. The man grunted before clapping a large hand on Neville's shoulder. He spoke, revealing to Neville that they were not muggles as he had feared.

"I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Where were ye going in such a rush? Knocked poor Harry right over!" Hagrid kept clapping his hand down on Nev's shoulder as he spoke, and Nev did all he could do from yelping, but did let out a pained noise by the fourth meaty slap. Hagrid's hand retreated immediately, as if he was burned, with a shocked look on his face. Neville's eyes dropped to the ground until he saw Harry move closer. He shifted back slightly, as to not be offensive, but did flinch when Harry reached out for him.

Harry's hand kept coming closer though and Neville looked up to see Harry's face to be full of concern and understanding. Neville then realised that his previous observations had been correct, and Harry was in the same situation as he. A surge of protectiveness flowed through him, as he couldn't understand why someone would hurt Harry. He'd only met him a minute ago, but he seemed both kind and sweet, not to mention he looked like he wouldn't hurt a gnat. Harry sent him a small smile before placing his small hand on Neville's arm, opening his mouth to speak.

"What's wrong Neville? You were running awfully fast and you were crying. Did someone hurt you? Or are you lost? I'm sure we can find wherever you need to go." Neville nearly started to really cry, Harry was so kind about the way he spoke, almost as if he believed Neville would go running if he said the wrong thing. Neville smile dropped a little before he replied in a small voice,

"No, I'm no lost, I was just scared. I was planning to get into The Leaky Cauldron but there were some muggles crowding around out front. They cornered me when I tried to get inside. I had to pull some tears to get them away from me; that's why I was crying. Nothing to worry about. Except now, I don't know how I'm supposed to get to Diagon Alley." He decided to tell them everything in the hopes they would help him get in as he was sure they were going to the same place.

Harry's face changed drastically in the span those two seconds of silence after he spoke. His eyes first flashed a lot of anger, but dulled when he realised that the _muggles_ weren't the ones to hurt him, but someone else. His anger then turned to shock when he realised what Neville was saying, before looking excited at the prospect of another wizard.

"Oh, so you're a wizard too? That's great! Well Hagrid and I are heading over there anyway, so you can come with us. Right Hagrid?" Hagrid looked quite surprised at Harry's sudden change in demeanour, and Neville could tell the large man had no idea why Harry had reacted like that. Neville also knew that Harry had completely understood the situation and was not mad at those muggles, but whoever had hit Neville. The large man had then nodded dumbly and Harry had flashed Nev a thousand watt grin, squeezing his arm gently.

As they walked back down the streets towards the pub, Neville told them of the lie he had used. Harry then informed Hagrid he would be 'Uncle Tommy', and would help them get in. He held Neville's smaller hand in his as they talked excitedly about what might happen in the alley. Neville knew that Harry was still trying to figure out who had hurt him, but he didn't give anything away. No matter how kind Harry was, or how much he seemed to like him, he knew it probably wouldn't last long, for he knew nothing ever stayed gold.

He stilled smiled and laughed with him though, because it felt like he finally had a friend for the first time in his life.

…

By the time the odd trio had gotten to the road _The Leaky Cauldron_ resided in, the boys felt as if they'd know each other their entire lives rather than a few minutes and Hagrid felt rather left out. The boys really didn't care how he felt though as he proved to be a little duller than they'd first thought with his constant blathering on about the headmaster Dumbledore, and especially when he'd mentioned that he knew Neville's family and proceeded to tell Harry about their state in St Mungo's. That left Neville with no choice but to tell Harry he lived alone with his Gran, and left Harry with no choice but to fume silently at the information, knowing now who he hated even more than his own abusers.

While Hagrid had been oblivious to it, the boys wordlessly bonded over the fact that they were not alone. Both boys felt hope in each other and the world and Neville's doubts of being left alone by the other where thrown out the metaphorical window. When Harry had suggested that they become good friends no matter what may happen at school Neville quickly agreed.

Naturally, they were quite excited when they realised that their birthdays were on the same date. Neville learned that Harry had also gotten his letter two days ago, but still knew nothing about the world of magic, as Hagrid hadn't been of much help in explaining anything other than how great Dumbledore was or what his job as Keeper of Keys and groundskeeper of Hogwarts was like, assuming that Harry knew all about Hogwarts, even if he knew nothing of magic. Neville started to explain how magic worked and how the magic world was different to the muggle one.

Harry had also told Neville the only useful bit of information he'd managed to squeeze out of the daft groundskeeper, about how his parents were murdered and the fall of Voldemort. As Neville had never been told about anything like that he was glad for the information, but became worried for Harry's safety and told him as much. He realised that what happened that night would've made Harry very famous, and he would probably run into both fans and envious jerks.

The boys planned out how they should buy their things in the alley, and decided that even though Hagrid wasn't the smartest they could get, Harry should go with him to get his school equipment. Harry had tried to object to leaving Neville by himself, but the smaller had retaliated by telling him that he needed to sort some things out at the bank concerning his money. He had also suggested that Harry should get a medical check-up by the Goblins while they were in the bank, and proceeded to tell him about how he should treat the Goblins. That while he should be polite and respect them, he shouldn't let them be mean to him.

Hagrid had butted into their conversation at this point, startling the boys as they'd forgotten he was There, telling them he also had some school related business to see to while he was at the bank himself. The boys agreed with him and said that they should just split up at the bank, and then Harry should meet up with Hagrid later.

…

The three finally rounded the corner that would lead them to the pub. Neville squeezed Harry's hand when the same group of muggles came into view, still hovering around the lonely tavern. Harry squeezed back and they continued forward without stopping.

A call came from the group of muggles when they were spotted and the same woman, Linda, came forward looking straight at him. He stayed tall this time though, as he knew they could get by the group with Hagrid, no matter how obtuse he might be.

They continued towards the pub, ignoring Linda's calls for them to stop, before she just started to yell out "Lucas", repeatedly. They took no notice of her and continued towards the pub. That was, until they made a grab for Neville.

One man had lunged forward, probably thinking that he would be able to 'save Lucas' from the other two. His hand had just brushed Neville's shirt when Harry yanked the frightened boy behind him. He slapped the hand away from the smaller boy and glared daggers at the man. Hagrid moved forward, in front of the boys, and it was then the muggles realised just how _tall_ 'Uncle Tommy' was. Hagrid's deep, accented voice boomed the rehearsed questions the boys had taught him through the crowd.

"Is there a problem here? Why are ye making a grab at one of my boys, little man? Or are ye the group that had my tiny nephew running 'round the streets of London, bawling his eyes out mind you, until he found us?" Needless to say, they were scared shitless. The man that had made a grab for Neville started to slowly back away before they all simultaneously turned and sprinted from the scene. Nev would've burst out laughing if he didn't have to keep his character up until the muggles were out of sight. Harry was shaking next to him, trying desperately to hold back his giggles as the muggles ran from the most non-threatening person he'd ever met. Besides Neville of course.

When the last of the muggles retreated around the corner the boys started to laugh while Hagrid simply walked towards the bar door. The boys were arm-in-arm again following Hagrid's lead. The pub did look quite ugly from the outside, with the dark dirty walls and blackened windows. The sign that only appeared to those who were wizards or knew of the world of magic was old and yellowed, giving the pub an overall look of _don't go in there, don't do it, DON'T DO IT! _

They did.

…

The inside of the pub was dark and creepy, but they were greeted by Tom with a large smile. There was a Floo-place with a wooden bowl filled with Floo-powder attached in the left corner of the room. The whole floor was packed with old wooden tables and many wizards and witches alike were scattered around the room, even if it was only 6am.

When they approached the bar, Tom addressed Hagrid first before noticing the two small boys behind him. He was slightly star struck when he saw Harry, but came back to earth when he spotted Neville.

"Hey Nev, going through to Diagon today? Merlin, has it been that long since I met you? Eleven already! Growing up so fast! Just give me a second lad, and I'll have the back opened up for you." Just as Tom was about to turn back to drying the glasses stacked to his right, Neville spoke up.

"That won't be necessary sir. I'm going through with Harry and Hagrid today. We're going to have some breakfast first though, if that's okay; I mean it's only around six now, right? Though, do you have any free rooms? I'll probably have to stay here until term begins if that's okay. Just save one for me and I'll be back later to book one if I need it." Tom smiled and nodded at him. He turned and walked with Harry to a table near the corner, while Hagrid ordered them something to eat. Neither boy had any money on their persons, so they would need him to buy for them. Even though Neville had eaten some toast earlier, he saw this as an opportunity to eat some real food, and he was right, it was only six. They'd need to eat something nourishing if they wanted to get through a whole day of shopping.

Three shared plates of sausages and eggs, three cups of juice, and two teas later the boys were finally ready to get to the alley. Their excitement had built up while eating, so they were practically bouncing by the time they stood from the table. Harry rushed away from the table, Neville not two seconds behind [to make sure he didn't get lost], leaving Hagrid to pay for the meal.

Neville wanted to get Harry out of the pub as soon as possible, as there was a strange man wearing a purple turban starting intently at him from the bar.

When Hagrid realised they were gone he stumbled after them, squeezing around the people trying to draw him into a conversation. When he finally got to the back, Neville and Harry were already waiting for him, tapping their feet in impatience. Even though Neville had been to Diagon Alley many times, it still excited him whenever he got the chance to buy something. His hand slipped back into his pocket to check the key was still there. When his fingertips brushed the cold gold of his key he felt reassured. He'd forgotten about it in all the excitement of the past hour.

He snapped back to attention when he heard Hagrid say something to Harry about the wall in front of them. Neville rolled his eyes. He'd told Harry all about how to get into Diagon Alley, even the order of bricks to tap when they'd been waiting for Hagrid.

Harry just smiled and nodded along while his arm reached back to search for Neville, the first friend he'd ever made, wizarding world or no. They linked arms again and let out small excited squeals when the bricks started to part. Rays of early morning sunshine shone through and touched the boy's faces as they caught glimpses of colour. The sounds were almost explosive, no matter how little people were there. By the time they'd finished eating it was 7 'o' clock, so there would be more people in the alley than Neville's usual visits, seeing as most parents would be bringing their children to get their school equipment for the year around this time. Shopping really did take the whole day, so most got in early, especially the first years, as they were the most inexperienced around this type of environment.

When the bricks were fully parted and Diagon Alley was completely visible in front of them, the boys gasped. All of the shops were lit up, splashes of colours everywhere. There were so many things in the shops and so many people walking through them, some empty handed and the ones that had gotten in even earlier had many bags. There was so much noise, from children's excited yells to the groans of many a parent whose child had run off, or found something a little too expensive. Right down the end of the alley was a massive white building with crooked pillars holding up the roof. The set of white stairs led to a pair of massive burnished bronze doors. On the architrave of the building the words Gringotts Bank was engraved into the white stone, tinted with gold.

Needless to say, the boys were absolutely amazed by it all. There were so many happy children about with their parents, but neither boy could feel jealous at all, with how amazing it all was. They also were holding each other's arms very tightly so they wouldn't get swept away in all of the excitement. Hagrid grunted and stepped forward, the crowd parting a little for him, some recognising him, but most for the sheer size of the man in front of them.

The boys followed after him as he made his way to the bank ahead, Harry gripping the back of his trench coat do they wouldn't be lost in the crowd. The boys were still looking every way they could, trying to take in everything they could see, from the newest brooms in both _Quality Quidditch Supplies _and the _Broomstix _shop windows,to the stacks of books nearly flowing from the front of _Bettie's Books _and _Flourish and Blotts. _

Hagrid finally reached the stairs and as Neville and Harry looked around him to see two Goblins flanking the doors in uniforms of scarlet and gold. They didn't look too happy to see anyone in the alley, but their eyes did show a pleased sort of shock when the two boys grinned and waved at them. It was the first time meeting a Goblin for both boys, and they didn't want to offend the Goblins in any way. Neville knew Gobbledegook, but had never had the chance to have a conversation with another speaker of the language before.

As Hagrid pushed open the large doors, he seemed to purposely look over the heads of the Goblins, which didn't bode well with either the boys or the Goblins. As the boys walked by Neville pressed Harry's back into a bow and he greeted them in proper Gobbledegook, to the surprise of the Goblins. Harry just seemed to be proud of Neville before he greeted the Goblins with a happy, "Hi!"

The Goblins seemed to smile slightly at the boys before they were pulled into the small entrance hall by Hagrid. Inside the entrance hall was another set of doors, silver this time. Engraved on the doors were the words,

_Enter, stranger, but take heed; _  
><em>of what awaits the sin of greed.<em>  
><em>For those who take, but do not earn; <em>  
><em>must pay most dearly in their turn.<em>  
><em>So if you seek beneath our floors; <em>  
><em>a treasure that was never yours, <em>  
><em>Thief, you have been warned, beware; <em>  
><em>of finding more than treasure there.<em>

Hagrid faltered slightly at the words, but it looked more like he was struggling to read them rather than being worried about what they said. The boys just smiled at the threatening words, wondering what type of defences the Goblins had in store for anyone who might attempt to steal from them.

Hagrid once again opened the doors and led the two into a vast marble hall with long counters stretching along its length. There were numerous doors on either side of the hall, of which the boys assumed led to the many vaults. At each counter sat a well-dressed Goblin, all writing furiously onto the pages in front of them. A few looked up at the trio, and both Neville and Harry smiled at them all.

Neville and Harry were gripping each other's hand tightly, while the other held their own vault key. Neville had nicked Harry's from Hagrid's pocket when they were in _The Leaky Cauldron._ It was silent except for the scribbles of the Goblin's quills on the pages and their own footsteps.

The boys dashed out in front of Hagrid before they reached the main desk. Just as Hagrid was about to clear his throat to gain the attention of the Goblin in front of them, Neville and Harry greeted him in Gobbledegook, in sync. Neville had taught the greeting to Harry as they had walked into the entrance hall.

The Goblin looked down his nose at them before grinning, showcasing his sharp teeth, probably with the intention of scaring them, but nonetheless, they grinned back. He settled back a little, but before he could say anything, Hagrid spoke up behind them, making the boys jump.

"We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Potter's safe." The Goblin frown deepened and the boys smiled apologetically. He was just so _rude._

"You have his key, Sir?" The Goblin sneered at the obvious half-giant.

"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of mouldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Neville and Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals. Both Neville and Harry sighed before Neville spoke up.

"No, you don't." At his words Harry pulled his hand out of his pocket and handed his key to the Goblin who grinned at the boys once again. The Goblin nodded before turning to Neville.

"I would also like to take some money from my vault. My name is Neville Longbottom. I would also like to speak to someone about my vaults, as I assume I may have more than this one. May I also request a medical check-up for both Mr. Potter and myself? It would be most appreciated, and we will compensate you for your troubles." Neville made sure not to stutter and kept eye-contact with the Goblin for as long as he could before looking to Harry for confirmation. Both boy and Goblin nodded before they were interrupted yet again by Hagrid, this time thrusting a piece of paper in front of the Goblin at the desk.

"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore." The Goblin merely nodded at Hagrid before turning back to the boys.

"I will have another Goblin take both you and Mr. Potter to your vaults, and then we will see about those check-ups. It is very wise of you to ask us. I will be sure to see you are taken proper care of. Would you prefer to go to your vaults first?" The boys nodded and smiled at the Goblin yet again. Neville knew he was being very respectful towards them, when he had no need to be anything other than civil.

The boys waited as he called for two Goblins, one for Hagrid and one for the boys. The boys smiled and greeting the new Goblin in Gobbledegook before bowing to the one at the counter and heading off with the Goblin who introduced himself as Bloodhorn.

…

**Hey guys! So I got them into Gringotts and got to 3 735 words! How cool am I? No, it really killed me. So they boys are headed off to the vaults now and they've gotten rid of Hagrid for a while. Sorry if you liked him, I didn't actually plan to put him down that much, but oh well. **

**So we'll see where this goes next time! So Harry seems a lot more important than I had planned, but soon enough we'll find someone much better to look after Nev, with less of a hero complex. Next chapter will find Harry being more ordinary than any of them plan, and Nev more special than anyone expected. **

**We might also meet another important character next chap, but I have no idea. **

**Also, I just want to remind everyone, that I am writing my own story, and this is only loosely based on the events of the movies and a bit of the books. Basically, I'm just doing whatever the hell I want with the characters and places J.K Rowling created. **

**See ya next time! Please review!**


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